Mortal Kombat: Reborn
by Psycho Delic263
Summary: Kronika is defeated. The New Era she desired has been stopped. But Liu Kang must create a new timeline to restore the damage she has done. This New Era will not be Kronika's. But it will give rise to an old foe. But what is he planning? What are his intentions? To stop him, a new champion must face him...in Mortal Kombat. Franchise owned by Ed Boon and John Tobias. I'm back, baby.
1. Prologue

**I know what you're thinking: "Psycho, where in the Ten Thousand and Six Hundred hells have you been, mister!? It's been a whole year! A WHOLE F**KING YEAR, YOU SHIT-FACED COCKMASTER DONKEY RAPING SHIT EATER! What do you have to say for yourself!?" Well, that's actually pretty simple. After Gravity Falls ended, all the questions to the show were answered. So, I literally had no inspiration or muse to continue writing that story, or any of the rest of my stories for that matter. But then I met Mortal Kombat 11, and it showed me the spunk and story that gave me back my voice. A writer needs a voice and I lost that when the most inspirational of all motion picture series' ended. Thanks to Mortal Kombat 11, I intend to continue where it left off, and I hope you all enjoy it and forgive me for being so quiet and negligent all these years...um ahem...year. Without further ado, here a we go.**

They say ignorance is bliss,...but they're wrong. There can be no bliss without those who fight for it. Bliss is not a constant that can be obtained. It is a feeling inside us that shows us we must fight for a better future. And we did.

When I defeated Kronika, I took control of the Hourglass, and became the new Keeper of Time. But the power to shape history was not something I could use alone. So i shared the power of the Hourglass with my most trusted friends and loved ones: Kung Lao, my faithful friend and partner, Kitana, the woman who stole my heart, Raiden, my former mentor who gave up his power to me, and Bo Rai Cho, the man who trained me to become Earthrealm's Chosen One and Champion.

Kronika nearly damaged time beyond repair, but I managed to stop her when we got to the Prehistoric Age. Had we have gone too far into the past, we would've ended up in the Chaotian Age, where life would have never existed, and only meteorites would floated through the vast void of space.

Though we are Elder Gods now, we do not stand idly by and let the realms endure the atrocities they do not deserve, because there is no Keeper of Time, who succumbed to madness, to restrain us from interfering. But we do not always intervene. Mortals must make their own decisions. We cannot decide the fate of everyone. We safeguard the realms. We protect them. We are not Kronika.

We restored the timeline to five months before our first Mortal Kombat tournament began. In those five months, we will choose Earthrealm's warriors to fight against Outworld. We cannot make a world where all the realms are at peace, but we can start from the ground up, hoping that we do bring peace to all.

Though I am now Keeper of Time, and an Elder God, that is not what i truly desired. Having to play a strong role in the protection of all the realms is not a blissful life for me. What I truly wished for was a simple life. Being the Mortal Kombat Champion was a great honor, admittedly, but the greatest honor of all...was the love of a good woman. I would give anything to live a simple life with Kitana. But alas, that can never be. So long as I live to watch over all, I can never return to the life of a mortal.

But as long as I can keep my home realm safe from harm, it is enough. I will create a new timeline. A timeline that will bring hope. A timeline that will not be ruled by power hungry tyrants. A timeline...where others can live the lives that they deserve. I may never get the life I desire, but I may be able to give others the lives they desire.

I give my word with wooden lips.

My name is Liu Kang. Keeper of Time. God of Fire. Protector of Earthrealm.

And the New Era...begins.


	2. Firestorm

The Fire Gardens. The home of the Shirai Ryu clan of ninjas in Japan. Founded by a former Lin Kuei student, Takeda, who abandoned his clan and returned to his homeland in Japan, the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei have been sworn enemies for years. Takeda's abandonment of the Lin Kuei did not go without consequence, for leaving the Lin Kuei was punishable by death. Takeda escaped with his life

When he returned to Japan, he spread his art, which deleloped into ninjutsu, across the country, along with some knowledge of secret techniques he learned from his days at the Lin Kuei. This action did not go unnoticed by the Chinese assassin clan itself, however, and the Lin Kuei saw the Shirai Ryu as blatant mockery of their own clan. Since then, both clans have hated each other to the last detail.

Many assassination plans were made by the Lin Kuei to put an end to Takeda, but none prevailed. Eventually, the Lin Kuei poisoned his tea, finally ending his life.

Hanzo Hasashi, an honor bound Shirai Ryu warrior, was always discouraged by his father to join, for his father did not want him to become an assassin as he did. But Hanzo joined the clan to provide a comfortable life for his wife, Harumi, and his son, Satoshi.

As Hanzo and the Shirai Ryu's Grandmaster clashed swords in the training grounds, Hanzo fought valiantly to win. After a while, the Grandmaster knocked Hanzo's sword out of his hands. But kombat did not end. Hanzo pulled out his kunai and launched it. It grappled onto the Grandmaster's sword and Hanzo pulled it out of his hands.

Hand to hand kombat commenced. Punches and kicks were thrown, blocked and dodged. Eventually, Hanzo managed to break through the Grandmaster's defenses and deliver a might kick to his chest. The Grandmaster fell to the ground. Hanzo put his foot on his chest victoriously.

The Grandmaster smiled proudly. "Well done," he said. Hanzo helped him up. "You are now chujin, Hanzo Hasashi."

"Thank you, Grandmaster," Hanzo said, bowing.

"The Shirai Ryu have a familial devotion to one another. Nothing else matters to us. As chujin, you will fight to protect your family and clan."

"I vow to do so, Grandmaster."

"I'm sure you will, Hanzo. You may go."

As Hanzo left the training grounds, honor and glory went with him. The clan has always been like a second family to him, and he couldn't ask for anything else. Now that he was chujin, he could do more than serve the clan. He can protect his family. Provide for them a future in which they will live on.

The Lin Kuei have not attacked in years. But it doesn't mean the war between them has ended. They could be plotting to destroy the Shirai Ryu at any time. When that time comes, they will be ready. The Shirai Ryu are ready for anything.

Walking pass the bridge over the stream, Harumi came running over to him with baby Satoshi in her arms. The two shared a warm, deep kiss.

"I have become chujin, my love," Hanzo said.

"Oh, Hanzo," Harumi replied proudly. "I'm so happy for you."

"As am I. I can now protect you and Satoshi."

"Yes. He can now rest peacefully, knowing that his father will protect the both of us and the clan."

Hanzo smiled. He and Harumi looked at Satoshi with loving eyes.

**XXX**

That night, Hanzo and his family slept peacefully in their house. He and his wife slept calmly next to each other, and little Satoshi slept across the room from them.

But then, a strange light shined in the night, awakening Hanzo from his slumber. Sitting up, he looked over to the window to see where the light was coming from. That was the strangest thing. A light was burning in the sky, but it was still night.

Getting up, Hanzo got dressed and went outside to investigate further. Walking to the edge of the Fire Garden, he saw unusual storm clouds that had that same red light shining into his room. What was very unusual about these storm clouds was that there was no lightning emitting from them. Only light.

"What in the name of..." Hanzo could only stare, not understanding what was going on.

As the clouds flew over the mountains close to the garden, a frightening sight caught his eye. The land on the mountains was not being drenched in rain...but fire! At that moment, Hanzo realized that this was not a rainstorm. This was...a firestorm.

"No..." he stuttered. The firestorm came closer and closer to the Fire Garden. Hanzo quickly turned and ran back to warn everyone. "HARUMI!"

He ran faster and faster, but it was not fast enough. The firestorm quickly caught up to him. Soon fire began to form on his feet, and it climbed up his knees. Hanzo fell, his feet burning into ash, making him unable to walk.

"HARUMI!" he shouted desperately.

Looking around him, the whole Fire Garden was scorching. The trees were enflamed, the buildings were falling apart from the firestorm's pressure, screams could be heard from every single one. Members of the Shirai Ryu were dying. Soon, the fire engulfing him reached up to his chest.

Then he heard the scream he feared the most...the scream of his wife. Looking up, he saw that his own house was burning, and his wife and child were inside! He tried desperately to crawl to the building, but it was no use. His legs were completely burn. They were nothing but burning skin and ash. As he crawled, pieces of his burnt skin slowly peeled off. The pain was unbearable.

Soon, the flames reached his head. He screamed in agony as his face started to melt until the bones showed. Before he completely fell into darkness, surrounded by the burning flora and the screams of his fellow Shirai Ryu, he saw his worst nightmare...his wife, Harumi, inside the house, screaming and flailing in pain as the room around her began to crumble...along with her and Satoshi!

"HAAAARRRRRUUUUUUMMMMMMMIIIIIII! SAAATTTTTTOOOOSSSSSHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIII!"


	3. Slow Burn

_Fire...pain...suffering...death...anguish..._

These words floated in the poor, withered soul's mind. He was bathed in fire, soaked in pain and suffering, and a victim to death and anguish. He was a wraith now. One that could not remember his name. Only two things were a part of his memory: the Shirai Ryu, and one word...Scorpion.

Was that the name given to him before death, after death, or was it his true name all along?

His emotions are gone. Wiped away from his life. Only one remained: Anger.

But what was there to be angry about? His life? His death? His pain and suffering? Could it be all three? Whatever the reason, he could only feel anger in his heart. Does he even have a heart? What if it was never there at all? What is this? Why can he not remember anything?

Awakening from a rest that felt eternal, Scorpion slowly lifted himself off the ground. His long, dark hair blinded his vision. Pushing it back behind him, he examined his surroundings. There was ash and smoldering rubble everywhere he turned. The sky was blood red, pitch black clouds soared, broken withered skeletons were spread about, and the trees were dead.

Was he dead as well? Could this be Hell? Purgatory? A horrible nightmare? Or has he always been among the living? If so, could he have done this? Killed all these poor, innocent people?

Putting these thoughts aside, Scorpion explored the strange wasteland. Nothing but the same sight. Who even were these people? Did he know them? Were they his enemies? His allies? Why would he kill his own allies? No matter where he looked, more and more questions were left unanswered. What even is this place? Or...what _was_ it?

Then Scorpion's eye drifted to one singular house. He felt something...strange running through his mind. Has he been in this house before? Did he...did he do something here?

Without hesitation, he stepped into what remained of the strange, withered building. Exploring the house, he found a bedroom with two burnt skeletons inside. One was wearing what appeared to be the remains of a dress, so it must've been a woman. From across her were the remains of a crib with a baby inside.

A woman and a baby? Were these...who were these people? His family? It couldn't be? He couldn't have...have killed his own family! Did he?

Gripping his head in agony, Scorpion couldn't comprehend what was going on. What is going on? What is this place? Was he dead or alive? Then he felt something from his fingertips. Releasing them from his forehead, he saw that his palms were enflamed. But these did not feel like ordinary flames. What were they?

Suddenly, a strange scratching noise came from the bed. He turned around fast, but there was only the corpse of that woman. As he made his way to the door, the scratching noise returned. Turning around again, he saw the woman's corpse...standing.

"_...help...us...HELP...US..._" The corpse slowly walked towards Scorpion with a menacing growl.

Scorpion put his hands in front of him to shield himself,...and flames blasted out of his hands. The corpse screams in pain, falling back to the floor. Looking at his flaming hands, Scorpion was even more confused.

Turning to the crib, he saw the baby's corpse look up at him, crying and screaming. Scorpion quickly ran out of the house.

To his horror, when he came outside, all of the corpses were reanimated. They all slowly approached him with malice. What did they want? To kill him? To torture him?

Nevertheless, Scorpion was not intent on letting them harm him. Picking up a dirty katana off the midst of the house's rubble, Scorpion charged. One by one, each corpse was slashed and cut to pieces.

However, one quickly got behind him and bit into his shoulder. Scorpion screamed in pain, but did not let the corpse win. Punching it off of his shoulder, the corpse was dazed. Under his feet, Scorpion saw a chain with a spear attached. Picking it up, he threw the chain at the dazed corpse, and pulled it towards him. Swiftly, Scorpion sliced the corpse in half.

But it was not over. The corpses continued to attacked. Soon, they all piled on top of Scorpion, trapping him. Scorpion tried to throw them all off, but there were just too many. It seemed like they had won.

Then something strange happened. Suddenly, all the corpses were gone. They vanished. As well as the wasteland they resided on. Looking around, Scorpion examined a different surrounding. Volcanoes, magma rivers, and blood geysers, but no sign of the wasteland he found himself in. What happened to it? How could it just disappear? Was it never there at all?

Scorpion once again gripped his head in anger and confusion. Why is he here? What is this place? Hell? Life? But most of all, who was HE!? Soon, his whole body started to burn, until finally, he broke down and screamed, his whole body exploding with flames...

"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


	4. Kenkaku

_What am I?...A ghost of my past...a shadow of my former self?...What does it matter now?...Nothing matters...everything about my life...is gone..._

Scorpion's thoughts were of nothing but these simple words of hate and rage. His life was taken. The memory is gone. Only his name and the illusions remained. No matter where he looked, the undead visions played tricks on him. The woman, the child, the dead clan, all of it. That's what this is to him now: Hell.

_What is the purpose of these bloodborn delusions?...Are they trying to tell me something?...Then what is it...my past...my present...MY LOST MEMORIES!?..._

"ANSWER ME, YOU DAMN HALLUCINATIONS! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME! **WHAT DO YOU WAAAAAANNNNNNNNTTTTT!**"

Scorpion's screams only attracted the hellhounds and demons of this wretched landscape. His body burned with anger, his mind clouded,...his lust for blood grew. Without hesitation, he unsheathed his sword.

"Your souls will BURN!" he cried.

Letting out a massive war cry, he attacked the denizens of Hell and quickly disposed of them all. Breathing like crazy and sweating up a storm, he sheathed his sword and continued on. As he traveled, he became lost in his thoughts once again.

_What is real...what is not...these delusions have drawn my ire to its limits...am I doomed to walk this dreaded Netherrealm for all eternity...why would these nightmares haunt me...what is my true name...what is the Shirai Ryu..._

Stopping there, he began to think deeper into those words. The Shirai Ryu. Could those be the undead warriors in his delusions? Why would he have them in his...then he looked down at his attire. His clothes...they matched the garbs those warriors wore. Was he...a Shirai Ryu himself? No. He couldn't be.

_Did I...no...I couldn't have...did I truly...kill my...no...NO..._

"**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**"

Scorpion was on the brink of losing his sanity. His clan. Dead. At his hands? What is all this? A dream? A horrible DREAM!

Scorpion began to throw the dirt on the ground into his face in frustration. "Wake up!" he shouted to himself. "Wake up! WAKE UP! **WAKE UP**!"

The more dirt he throw in his face,...the more it hurt. This was no dream. You cannot feel pain in dreams. This was reality. His clan. His family. His friends. All dead. Soon, Scorpion broke down in tears, lamenting the family he lost to time. He lost everything. His heritage. His identity. His entire life. All that remained was hate, anger...no...not anger...rage...rage...as his light died...

Soon, all that lamentation died with his sadness, and was replaced with a single motive: Vengeance. His mind became a chorus of rage, and it sang of lust for pain. The pain of those who will feel his wrath. He will unleash his rage on those who dared to defile the Shirai Ryu. Netherrealmers, Earthrealmers, the Elder Gods...he will crush them all. Then, he will have vengeance.

"CREATURES OF THIS FOUL HELL! COME OUT! COME OUT AND FIGHT ME TO THE DEATH!"

Soon, millions of the Netherrealm's demons came running at Scorpion. Unsheathing his sword and rope spear once more, he charged in screaming like a maniac. One by one, demons fell to Scorpion's blades, blood spilling from their sliced bodies. With each kill came another demon, but Scorpion cared not. As long as there was something to kill, he will fight to the last breath. So many demons, so much blood. One demon in particular received a most gruesome death. Igniting his rope spear, Scorpion threw it at the demon, jumped over it, and disappeared into a firepit. The flaming chain burned the demon's face and torso. Coming around, Scorpion jumped out of the ground, pulled his spear back, and bisected the demon vertically in half.

Suddenly, there was a rumble and a quake, and the ground started to shake. All the demons surrounding Scorpion ran away in fear. Scorpion only watched in bewilderment, wondering what got those demons so frightened. As the ground continued to shake, he looked around, and suddenly realized why all the demons ran. In the distance, a creature the size of the mountains came walking over to him. The creature was large, hulking, and inhuman. It dressed like a barbarian, with its armor covering only its chest. A large helmet covered its eyes, but it somehow knew where it was going.

But Scorpion was not fazed. He saw himself as the Shirai Ryu's kenkaku, a professional warrior belonging to his clan. He was not going to let this strange abomination scare him. He will take his head and throw it into the Netherrealm's flaming rivers. Without a second thought, Scorpion stood his ground. His heart burning with anger and determination once more. Looking up at the monster, he sneered with resentment in his voice.

"You're next..."


	5. Get Over Here

With the rage of a lion, Scorpion burst into flames until he was nothing but a flaming skeletal specter. But the giant was not at all phased. It lift up his foot, and took one big stop on Scorpion. But Scorpion was not finished, for with quick speed, he launched right through the giant's foot, leaving a hole in it. The monster roared in pain. Scorpion jumped on the back of the creature's neck, and wrapped his chain around it.

"CREATURE OF TREMENDOUS POWER!" he shouted in anger. "THE SOULS OF MY FALLEN CLAN CRY OUT TO ME! THEY HUNGER FOR YOUR DEATH! VENGEANCE! PAIN! THOSE WHO WOULD DARE DISHONOR THE SHIRAI RYU ARE DESTINED TO BE KILLED BY MY HAND!"

Suddenly, the giant spoke. "**Who...who are you...specter...what...do you...truly...desire...**"

"I AM SCORPION! My clan was killed! I was killed! And now I will do everything in my power to end all who disrespect them, MAKE THEM FEEL MY VENGEANCE, AND UNLEASH MY WRATH ON ALL THE REALMS!"

"**...your...family...was...destined...to...**"

"Quiet, monster! NOTHING can help you now!"

Scorpion pulled his chain back and strangled the monster. It gasped for air, tried to wriggle the chain off of its neck, but Scorpion proved to have a strong grip. But the creature was not willing to go down without a fight. It fell backwards, landing on the ground with a loud and strong thud. Scorpion fell off its neck, and the creature removed the chain.

"**You fool...I am...not...what you think...I am...I shaped the realms. Along side my fellow comrades, we created the realms, shaping a balanced world. But our actions have been tainted by the New Elder Gods. They hold the power to recreate time, but they never use it. Therefore, darkness fades from the realms, disrupting the balance. If the New Elder Gods are not stopped, chaos will follow in their quest for peace. There can be no peace without conflict. In that balance, there is perfection.**"

"I have no interest in your meaningless morals, creature! No one can kill the Elder Gods!"

"**You are wrong...I am evolved beyond an Elder God. I...am a Titan.**"

"Then I will honor my clan by slaying you!"

Bursting into flames once more, Scorpion launched himself at the Titan, drilling a hole in its chest. It turned around to smash him with its fist, but Scorpion quickly dodged it, unsheathed his sword, jumped up and slice the Titan's hand off. It roared in pain, holding its wrist, blood spewing from the exposed flesh.

Scorpion then proceeded to cut off its feet, but the Titan quickly kicked him before he could slice. He landed a few paces away from the Titan. Before he could get up, the Titan took him in his remaining fist.

"**Witless worm...**" it ridiculed. "**You...cannot kill a Titan. We are...invincible...goodbye.**"

The Titan through Scorpion into the flaming river of molten lava. With a big splash, Scorpion disappeared.

"**What a waste...he could've secured his clan's survival...**"

The Titan turned its back on the river and began to walk away. Such a disappointment his opponent was. Mortals are always so naive. They do not understand that they could live a better life if they followed the will of the Titans. It is true: what a waste.

Then, without warning, the Titan felt a large pain in the back of its head. Suddenly, a spear came launching out of its mouth. The Titan gagged, choking on the steel that went right through it.

"GET OVER HERE!"

Behind him, Scorpion emerged from the lava river, pulled back his rope spear, and the Titan's head came flying off towards him. Unsheathing his sword once more, Scorpion quickly stabbed into the abomination's forehead.

The Titan couldn't believe it. As its decapitated, but living head choked, it couldn't believe that a mere wraith ripped his head from his body. It underestimated Scorpion's power. He was more powerful then he anticipated. Breathing heavily, Scorpion lifted the head up to his face and sneered at the Titan.

"Blood for blood...your debt is paid," he said at last.

"**...ughh...afhth...ahth...how...hff...no one...djth...can kill...a Titan...hfth...**"

"There are fates worse than death."

"**...ughhhh...you...do not...understand...Titans...were not meant...ughh...to roam...the realms freely...ughhahuff...we...were locked...away...many years...ago. Ugh...but then...someone...freed us...ahuffahuff...we...felt his power...knew his motives...he...ahuff...must be...stopped...**"

"DO NOT SEEK TO BEGUILE ME!"

"**...you must know...that...ahuff...he was...the true...murderer...of your ughhahf clan. Do you...afhgaack...not wish...to truly...ahuff...avenge them?**"

Scorpion felt confused, but it was true, he did wish to avenge his family and clan. "Who is he?" he sneered.

"**...I...ahuffhuufff...dare not...speak his name...ugghh...you must...gather...the thirteen...chosen...and you will...discover...for your...self...agh.**"

"Why should I believe you?!"

**"...If you...don't...aggghhufff...never be...a fhuahahu...future...for anyone...hufffackkk...all life...ackjdjgl...will die...ahuuf...**"

Scorpion glared at the abomination's head one last time, and threw into the river of magma. It slowly sank into the molten river. But before it completely submerged, it took one last gulp of air.

Suddenly, a light glowed behind Scorpion. He turned around and saw something forge on the ground. It looked like some sort of circle. In the middle of it was a helmet of some kind. Then he noticed thirteen more drawings were surrounding the helm: a skull, a medallion, a hat, a pair of glasses, a medal, a headband, a dragon, a tag, a fan, a pendant, a dish shaped object, a pair of boots, and a stone.

Suddenly, the world around him began to crumble. Piece by piece, chunks of the Netherrealm were being uplifted into the air. All around him, everything was falling apart. When the floor he was standing on started to uplift, he quickly grabbed onto a flying piece of rubble. But his grip began to loosen. Soon, he started falling into the bottom void the ground left behind.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


	6. Out of the Cold

When he awoke, Scorpion felt once again at a horrible loss. The heat of the Netherrealm was starting to feel more pleasant every moment. Everything around him was now freezing cold. Again, that same question struck him: was he dead, or alive? But he was already dead back in the Netherrealm, and what is dead cannot die again, no? But...whatever happened to the Netherrealm?

Standing up slowly, Scorpion surveyed his surroundings for the third time. What was this place? The Netherrealm beyond the Netherrealm? If so, then death is indeed a cold end. Everywhere he looked, there was snow everywhere. It covered the mountains that most of the terrain in this area was. Though he was a wraith, Scorpion could still feel pain, and that pain...was the cold embrace of the freezing atmosphere.

"What is this? Another meaningless delusion?" he questioned. "Why am I cursed to roam my own inner demons? Was that fight in the Netherrealm even real? Was I actually _in_ the Netherrealm?"

Scorpion started to question reality. What was real and what was not? As he walked through the frozen snow forest the mountains surrounded, he began to feel the urge to give up. Why continue on? He was dead. His family and clan were dead. Now he was trapped in his own warped mind, filled with grief.

Shivering, he tried to light himself a spark of fire. But each time he tried, only a little flame could be formed. What was wrong with his powers? Is it all this freezing air? Is it the strange disappearance of the Netherrealm? So many questions, so little answers.

Without another word, Scorpion gave into the cold. He could not go on. He could not tell reality from fantasy anymore. There was no point in continuing. Whatever happened in the Netherrealm...may have been nothing but a brazen faced delusion.

Freezing, tired, and in pain, Scorpion fell to the ground. The snow covered his face, giving him a colder embrace. Closing his eyes, Scorpion fell into a deep sleep, awaiting his possible second death.

**XXX**

The Lin Kuei Temple, home of the clan of assassins of the namesake. Some say the cold is the Lin Kuei's only benefactor, but that is a common misconception. There are those who wield fire, energy, and even magic.

Sektor, the Grandmaster's son, was respected among the Lin Kuei. As the Grandmaster's enforcer, he leads the Lin Kuei on many missions.

The Grandmaster's new plan, the Cyber Initiative, was designed to perfect the abilities of all the warriors. Some embraced the idea, hoping to improve their powers, such as Bi-Han, otherwise known as Sub-Zero. But there are also those who were skeptical of this plan, such as Sub-Zero's brother, Kuai Liang, also called Tundra.

Tundra is a novice who serves the Lin Kuei with honor, hoping to grow to be as powerful as his brother. Yet, there were times when he questioned the Lin Kuei's honor, such as now. The Cyber Initiative did not seem to be a pleasant fate. It was designed to turn every member of the Lin Kuei into a most fearsome fighter: a cyborg. It was also designed to eliminate all insubordination, meaning he would be stripped of...his free will.

As Tundra stood outside, looking up at the statue of the Lin Kuei's founder, he began to wonder, what happened to the Lin Kuei's honor?

"You seemed distressed, brother," said a voice from behind him. Tundra turned to see Sub-Zero standing at the entrance to the temple. "Do you have an issue with your pathway to evolution?"

"What evolution?" Tundra questioned. "Machinery seems like a disgrace. What good is evolution if you cannot use it to do what you wish with it? This...this is not honor, Bi-han. Surely, you must know that."

"You forget your place, Kuai Liang. I let you join the Lin Kuei because you wished to honor it. You cannot honor your clan without following your superior's instruction. If you do not, you remain a novice. The Cyber Initiative will increase your power. It will give you amazing strength. It will make you mightier than a dozen men. It will enable you to serve the Lin Kuei, and give it the honor you wish to bestow on it."

"Honor the Lin Kuei through slavery? And with a body that never belonged to me?"

"Continue to be defiant, and it will be forced upon you. Through it, it will eliminate your disobedience."

"NO!" Tundra suddenly shouted. "This is outrageous! It's unfair! How can you serve your clan without dignity?!"

Sub-Zero only turned and went back inside, leaving his brother out in the cold.

Tundra could now only ponder on his fate. He could abandon the Lin Kuei, but it would cost him his life. Any desertion is punishable by death. Takeda learned that the hard way. Tundra couldn't risk death. Kneeling down, he folded his hands and prayed for mercy on his soul. If this was to be his fate, he would have to make one last prayer.

Then, looking down in the distance, miles away from the temple, he saw something flickering. Pulling out his telescope, he looked in the direction of the flickering light, and saw a man buried in the snow, with a small flame in his hand.

"What in the name of..."

Using his powers of the cold, Tundra created a bridge of ice to slide on to get a closer look at the frozen being.

**XXX**

Once he reached the body, Tundra began digging it out of the snow. Turning it over so the face wasn't in the snow, he saw that the being was still alive and breathing. Uncovering the rest of his body, he soon recognized the clothing on the strange person.

"Yellow, yet it resembles our own..." Tundra then came to a realization. "You're Shirai Ryu!"

"...uh...ugghhh...leave me in peace, false images...," the man spoke.

"My clan has always hated your kind, and has always told me to never trust you," Tundra exclaimed. Looking at the worn person, however, he felt guilty. "But...I cannot leave you to die out here in the cold. It is disgraceful. I will take you to the temple...unnoticed. The clan would sentence me to death if I brought a member of our greatest enemy to our temple."

Summoning another ice bridge, but keeping it low to the ground, Tundra picked up the worn out man carried him across to the bottom of the temple. There, he would sneak the Shirai Ryu ninja into the temple and to his room, where he could nurse him back to health.


	7. Dragon's Teeth

Death. That is the punishment for many crimes against the Lin Kuei, even desertion. When Takeda left the Lin Kuei to return to his homeland, his death warrant was signed. Dead at the taste of a delicious cup of poisoned tea, but not before founding the Shirai Ryu, who become the hated enemies of his old clan.

Allowing a Shirai Ryu into the Lin Kuei temple would be an act of treason. Nonetheless, Tundra was more honorable than to leave a wounded, dying warrior out in the cold to meet his fate. As he sat in his room cross-legged on the floor, he wondered, what was a Shirai Ryu doing out here in the cold freezing mountains of Arctika?

The Shirai Ryu ninja slept soundly next to Tundra, a blanket covering his body and a wet dry cloth placed on his head. Watching him sleep, Tundra hoped the Shirai Ryu would get better soon. If he stayed any longer, the clan would surely discover him and no doubt bring both him and Tundra to the execution block.

Slowly, the ninja began to open his eyes and spoke softly and quietly. "...huh...wha...ugh...where...am I..."

"Hello there," Tundra greeted.

Turning his head, the ninja saw the blue painted stranger. "Ugh...blast it. I must be having another horrid dream."

"I can assure you, I am all too real."

"Are you? Then speak your name. I do not wish to linger here much longer."

"I am Kuai Liang of the Lin Kuei, but you may call me Tundra. And you must be Shirai Ryu, yes."

"I believe so. I hardly remember who I am. All I remember is my clan's name, but I will never forget how they were all killed a fortnight ago."

"Fortnight? Actually, the Shirai Ryu have been dead much longer than that. About four months ago, we received word that they were all dead without explanation. How they died, we do not know. Everything was burned to the ground that day. No survivors, no witnesses, no signs of how they died,...nothing."

"Four months...?"

"Yes. The Grandmaster was pleased that the Shirai Ryu were no more. The Lin Kuei have always been hated enemies with the Shirai Ryu. They mimicked our fighting style, our attire, everything about us. We have battled them for years. When that day came, our war with them was over."

Scorpion's mind again started to have vague images once more. He saw a battle between two different clans, one in yellow, one in blue. The yellow clan was quickly defeated by the blue clan, cut down until the blood started to spill. It was a massacre. Waking up from his vision, Scorpion quickly turned to the blue painted stranger and soon realized...he looked just like the warriors in his nightmare.

Without warning, Scorpion jumped out of the blanket and launched a fireball at the man. But the blue warrior quickly dodged it.

"YOU!...NO ONE DISRESPECTS THE SHIRAI RYU! YOU WILL DIE FOR MY CLAN'S EXTINCTION!" he shouted.

"Ninja, wait!" Tundra pleaded.

"For what? More treachery?...I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"

Scorpion attacked Tundra. Each punch he threw was blocked, and each punch Tundra threw as well. For a while it was all kicks and punches, until Scorpion grabbed Tundra by his garb and kicked him into the wall. Grabbing his sword, he lunged at Tundra, ready to strike the killing blow. But Tundra quickly summoned a sword of ice and blocked it. However, Scorpion's strength appeared to be too much for Tundra. His sword was being pushed to his face as he was blocking.

Then, looking down at his garb, Scorpion saw something that made him pause...the symbol on the blue uniform. Suddenly, his thoughts went back to what the Titan said.

"**...you must...gather...the thirteen...chosen...and you will...discover...for your...self...**"

Remembering the wheel with the symbols, he recognized the insignia on Tundra's garb. Tundra managed to kick Scorpion off of him, and he landed on the ground.

"Your...your insignia," he exclaimed.

"What about it?" Tundra asked getting up.

"It matches the one on the medallion of this strange symbol wheel I uncovered in the Netherrealm."

"Medallion? I'm afraid you mistake me for my brother."

"Nonetheless, your symbol was on it. When I awoke in the Netherrealm, I've been having wretched nightmares and addle-minded delusions about my dead clan. When I slayed a large monster, claiming to be a Titan, he told me that I must bring together thirteen chosen fighters to avenge the Shirai Ryu. At first, I considered that meeting as nothing more than another delusion, but now i'm not so sure."

"What do you mean?"

"The Titan told me that his kind was freed by an unknown evil whose name was not spoken, and if he is not stopped, the realms will face Armageddon. When I threw his severed head into the river of magma, he created a wheel behind me, showing thirteen symbols around a strange helmet of some kind."

Tundra pondered the stranger's words. "How did you escape the Netherrealm?"

"I'm not sure. When I killed the Titan, the Netherrealm started to crumble. With no explanation, it disappeared into a strange void."

All of a sudden, the ground shook. The ceiling started to crumble. Scorpion and Tundra quickly jumped out of the way of the falling debris.

Getting up, they looked through the hole in the ceiling, wondering what could have caused it to collapse. Then, something slowly came into view. Something that Scorpion and Tundra couldn't believe their eyes...

...a Dragon's teeth.


	8. Winter Chill

Running outside to the main courtyard, Scorpion and Tundra looked up at what could only be described as, impossible. A dragon in Arctika. A FIRE BREATHING DRAGON! It was ash black with fire outlines all over it.

"By the Elder Gods!" Tundra shouted. "What in the Netherrealm is that?!"

Looking at it closely, Scorpion quickly recognized it. "A Netherrealm dragon!" he concluded. "But how? I saw the Netherrealm fall apart with my own eyes!"

"It does not matter how this is possible, we must do something before it destroys the temple!"

Looking in their general direction, the dragon spits its hot fire at the duo. They quickly jump out of the way. Flying into the air, the dragon circles around and fires its flame across the temple until a firewall runs through the temple. Tundra shoots his ice at the flames, trying to douse them.

"I will try to reduce the inferno, you try to-"

"Save your breath, novice. I don't take orders from you," Scorpion sneered.

Unleashing his kunai, he faces the dragon as it comes around for another pass. When it flies close enough, Scorpion launches the spear, and it wraps around the dragon's neck. Flying over the temple, the dragon pulls Scorpion into the sky with him, the chain around its neck.

"He is either brave or foolish. Quite possibly both," Tundra observed.

Up above the mountains, Scorpion pulls himself up the chain as the dragon attempts to shake him off. Reaching as close to the dragon as he can, Scorpion jumps onto the flapping dragon wing and holds on as tight as he can. Making his why to the head, he climbs the ridges of the beast's wing to its back. The dragon barrelrolls trying to throw off the undead ninja, but Scorpion's grip was as strong as a lion's bite.

"Creature of eternal damnation!" he announced. "Whatever dark magic spawned you, it was wasted! The Netherrealm may be gone, but HELL IS NOT!"

Climbing the dragon's back all the way to its neck, Scorpion makes it to the head. Pulling out his sword, he stabs one of the eyes. The dragon roars and flails its head around, spitting fire madly and uncontrollably.

Scorpion finally gets thrown off, but not before grabbing the chain of his kunai.

Down on the ground, Tundra continues to ice the flames that burn the temple. Turning around, he witnesses the dragon wailing and flailing in pain and spitting fire. It was heading right for the temple. If it crashed right into it, the clan would get crushed. Tundra had to do something. Cyber Initiative or not, the Lin Kuei was still his clan.

Conjuring up an axe of ice, he runs to the edge of the mountain the temple rests on, and stands battle ready. The dragon comes closer and closer to his location.

"For the Lin Kuei!" Tundra cried. He jumps off the edge of the mountain, and lands right on the dragon's forehead. With axe in hand, he leans back...and swings.

Blood begins to spurt from the dragon's head as it flies towards the temple and...misses. Still going down, the dragon crashes into the bottom of the mountain behind the temple with a loud crash.

**XXX**

Below the mountain where the crash ensued, the dragon was dead. Scorpion laid unconscious right next to the dragon's neck.

Tundra slowly and painfully rose from the ground. What he did was reckless and selfless, but it saved the temple. It saved the Lin Kuei, but it quite possibly did not end the Cyber Initiative. But could he really let his fellow brothers die by the hands of a Netherrealm dragon? No. It was not honorable. A life without honor is pointless.

He quickly ran to assist Scorpion, but before he could reach him, someone landed from above between them. Tundra quickly recognized the figure as his brother, Sub-Zero, and he did not seem pleased.

"You wound me, Kuai Liang," he said. "I am grateful that you saved the temple from this monstrosity, but you do so by making friends with this...this filthy Shirai Ryu?"

"He is not what you think he is, Bi-Han," Tundra explained. "He is...different."

"Different!? Shirai Ryu are all the same! A savage shadow of a Lin Kuei warrior. Deceivers. Blatant mockery. Like Takeda! He betrayed the Lin Kuei and stole our fighting style to create his pathetic clan. All Shirai Ryu must die."

"He _is _dead, brother! He's a revenant!" Tundra's words made Sub-Zero pause. "He was brought back to life to save the realms. Our clans should unite with him against this evil."

"That is insane."

"This warrior saw the Netherrealm disappear. This beast we killed is a dragon _from _the Netherrealm. It appeared from a realm that appeared to no longer exist. This could be the Armageddon the warrior was told of. He was tasked with finding thirteen warriors found in a prophecy!"

"ENOUGH!" Sub-Zero did not seem to believe his brother. "Enough of this madness. The Lin Kuei will not unite with the Shirai Ryu, our hated foe. You will return with me to the temple. It is time for the Cyber Initiative to commence."

"But brother-"

"No more. I will not listen to foolish fairy tales. The Cyber Initiative will begin when we arrive."

Tundra couldn't believe his ears. His own brother, his blood, he thought he would join him. Sub-Zero had always told him to never trust anyone, but did that include family? If so, then it is true. Bi-Han's heart is truly frozen. He aligns himself with Sektor and the Cyber Initiative. The brother he knew died inside.

Before Sub-Zero could get any closer to Tundra, a sharp pain struck his chest. Looking down, his chest appeared impaled from behind. Tundra looked behind Bi-Han to see the user of the weapon.

"GET OVER HERE!"

The fully awake Scorpion pulled Sub-Zero back towards him and kicked him to the ground. Bursting into flames, he launched himself at the elder Lin Kuei as he stood up. Plowing through his stomach, the flesh was completely burnt, leaving only the exposed spine. Unsheathing his sword, Scorpion sliced off Bi-Han's head, kicked it into the air, and launched his kunai at it.

Pulling the chain back, Scorpion grabbed Sub-Zero's head and threw it to the ground. "For my family and clan," he whispered.

Tundra walked over to his brother's severed head, and couldn't help but feel guilty. His brother was dead. Sure, he seemed pure evil, but he was still his brother. Grabbing the head, he pulled Sub-Zero's mask off his face. Walking over to the headless body, he ripped the medallion from Sub-Zero's cold dead chest.

"This is what you were seeking, yes?" Tundra asked the revenant.

Scorpion looked at the medallion in his hand, and uttered only one word: "No."

"What?"

"I sought the person who wore it with pride, not dishonor. This Cyber Initiative your brother spoke of...what it is?"

"It is an act of murder and slavery. The Grandmaster wished to turn every member of the Lin Kuei into a cyborg, starting off by murdering them, then harvesting their spare organs for cybernetic bodies. Then, their free will would be stripped. We would all be mindless slaves."

Scorpion pondered the disgracefulness of this Cyber Initiative. What were the Lin Kuei hoping to achieve from this?

"We must get as far away from the temple as we can," he suggested.

"You would save my life?" Tundra asked. "What of your Shirai Ryu pride and hatred against the Lin Kuei?"

"You are different from your clan, Tundra. You are not like your brother. You are noble and good. Could you be one of the chosen the prophecy mentioned?"

Looking in the direction of the temple, they saw a flickering light emit from one of the bottom floor windows. "We must go. Now!"

Without hesitation, Scorpion and Tundra ran in the opposite direction of the temple hoping to hide from the Lin Kuei. All they left behind was the lifeless body of Sub-Zero, sitting there to freeze in the snow.


	9. Trophy Hunter

Cold. That is the word that describes this strange, unforeseen journey. What a world. What a cold, unpredictable world. No one ever suspected that a Shirai Ryu revenant and a Lin Kuei novice would be fighting side by side. Mortal enemies become friends against a greater enemy. What this greater enemy is, they have no clue.

As Scorpion and Tundra continue on, running from the corrupted Lin Kuei, they pondered what their lives have come to. Scorpion's life, his name, they have been wiped from history. His clan, his family, his friends, all dead. All he had left was fragments of his past life, the power of the Netherrealm, and a novice who betrayed his clan to join him on his adventure.

While Tundra's memory was not erased, he certainly wished it was. Only one word can describe why: betrayal. His brother, his clan, they all betrayed him, corrupted the clan he swore to bring honor to, only for it to be reduced to mere machinery. Not just machinery, but slavery.

The duo stop to make camp at a small alcove blocked from the snow. Using whatever wood from the snow forest they could find, and the power of Scorpion's hellfire, they started a small campfire so that they do not draw so much attention. Looking around the alcove, Tundra creates a wall of ice around them to prevent any dangers from entering.

Settling down by the fire, Tundra broke the silence. "So...I don't believe we have ever been introduced properly, so shall we start over? My name is Kuai Liang of the Lin Kuei, but they call me Tundra, for my powers of the cold I inherited from my late grandfather, the first Sub-Zero."

"Sub-Zero? That is where your brother earned his name from? It's a mantle?" Scorpion asked.

"Indeed. First came my grandfather, who passed it down to my father, and then my brother, Bi-Han. But the dark path he chose was not what grandfather would have wanted. Grandfather was a noble warrior, who never gave up the old ways. But when Sektor's father took control of the Lin Kuei, our honor was abandoned." Pulling out the mask and the medallion he took from Bi-Han's dead body, he continued, "Now it seems I am the only Lin Kuei left who respects our sacred traditions. What are we without our humanity? Our souls?"

"Perhaps you wish to honor your clan by honoring your grandfather?" Scorpion suggested. "Or perhaps you only wish to honor your clan's old traditions?"

"More than anything I wish to honor my clan. But after what happened, I am no longer certain."

As Kuai Liang stared at the mask and medallion in his hands, he thought about what Scorpion said. Perhaps he _should _only honor his grandfather's old traditions. Though he cannot ever return to the Lin Kuei, he can continue to honor what it was before the Cyber Initiative. Taking the mask and medallion, he places the mask on his face and the medallion on his chest.

"But I am certain of one thing: I will not let the Cyber Initiative destroy the Lin Kuei. Some day, I will return to destroy it, rebuild the Lin Kuei, a more honorable clan. Then, I will honor my grandfather's way of life, starting by taking his mantle. No longer will they call me Tundra, they will call me the name that is earned by right."

"Words of determination...Sub-Zero," Scorpion complimented. "I know little of my clan, and my memory was destroyed when I died. Nonetheless, I intend to restore my clan no matter what it takes. You may call me Scorpion."

"A pleasure to meet you. So tell me, Scorpion, what did this prophecy look like?"

"I'll show you. Do you have any parchment and writing utensils?"

Sub-Zero pulls out a sheet of parchment and a lead pencil and hands them to Scorpion. Writing by memory, he draws a large circle with smaller one inside, then starts drawing the symbols: a skull, a Lin Kuei medallion, a hat, a pair of glasses, a medal, a headband, a dragon, a tag, a hand fan, a pendant, a dish shaped object, a pair of boots, and a stone. In the smaller circle, he draws the helmet.

"These symbols surrounding the helmet must represent people. You might be the medallion, and I might be the skull."

"These don't appear to symbols," Sub-Zero observed. "These could be trophies of some kind. My medallion comes from the Lin Kuei, and I wear it with pride. The burning skull must represent your trophy of the Netherrealm's hellfire."

"If what you say is true, then the rest of these symbols are the trophies of those they represent. We must find these thirteen chosen fighters, only then can we put an end to this evil. Only then will my family truly be avenged."

"Do not let emotions get the better of you, Scorpion. They could be your undoing."

"Perhaps, but nothing else matters to me. How shall we begin?"

"This hat...it appears to be a takuhatsugasa, and look at how those lines you drew zig zag like a lightning bolt."

"Lightning?" Scorpion began to realize the meaning of the symbol. "You do not suppose this is the takuhatsugasa of Raiden, the Elder God of Thunder, do you?"

"It appears so."

"How can we make contact with an Elder God?"

"We cannot reach the heavens from here. But I've learned from the Lin Kuei archives, that shrines were made for the Elder Gods, where people can pray to them and pay their respects. Raiden's shrine is said to rest at the Wu Shi Temple, where the Shaolin monks reside."

"Then our next destination is clear. We will leave in the morning."

With that, Scorpion and the newly named Sub-Zero turn to rest. Tomorrow, they make for the Wu Shi Temple, and at the heart of it, the shrine of the Thunder Elder God, Raiden.

**XXX**

Meanwhile, at the site of Bi-Han's dead body, a mysterious man in black steps towards the lifeless corpse. Looking down upon it, he reaches out with his hand. Suddenly, green energy comes pours out of the body until...nothing is left. The body vanishes into the figure's palm.

"Your soul is mine."


	10. High Beam

Meanwhile, in the heavens above, a plain that exists outside of reality, there rests the New Elder Gods. Kung Lao, God of Courage, Kitana, Goddess of Beauty and Peace, Raiden, God of Thunder, Bo Rai Cho, God of Wine, and Liu Kang, God of Fire and Protector of Earthrealm. As the New Elder Gods and Keepers of Time, they protect and serve the realms.

Turning his attention towards Raiden's chair, Liu Kang observes his friend's distraught expression. "Is something troubling you, Raiden?" he asked.

"We have not been able to prevent the Shirai Ryu's extinction," Raiden replied. "Was it truly destined to be destroyed? We have been observing Scorpion's actions for months, and it is clear that his memory has been completely wiped from his mind. I fear his fragmented flashbacks may destroy him, along with his new comrade, the next Sub-Zero. I am pleased that they put their clans' differences aside and joined forces, but what is it they are attempting to stop?"

"Hmm...indeed," Liu Kang pondered. "This was an unforeseen event, even _we_ had not a clue. If Kronika was truly not the only Titan, and the rest of them have been truly freed, who freed them?"

"There are great threats to the realms that even _we_ cannot destroy," Kitana interjected. "The realms may be separated, but who is to say that there are none who would wish to bring them together? The Shirai Ryu's decimation could only just be the beginning. Only the Edenian Molten Mask has the power to create such firestorms."

"Edenian?" Kung Lao asked. "But that's impossible. Edenia is a realm free of tyranny, isn't it?"

"No realm is free of sadistic villains, Kung Lao," Bo Rai Cho reminded.

"We musn't dwell too highly on this," Liu Kang suggested. "We cannot protect everyone, but we can form a team of defenders. If Scorpion and Sub-Zero follow the Titans' instructions, the prophecy it foretold could allow them to gather Earth's Defenders. We must allow them to seek out the Wu Shi for Raiden's shrine. There, they will pray for assistance, and we will answer their prayers. Then we will hunt down the rest of Earthrealm's warriors and defeat this unknown evil."

"We have defeated many great enemies in our past times, Liu Kang," Kung Lao interjected. "This will be nothing but a chore."

"Do not presume, Kung Lao."

**XXX**

As the day went and the hours ticked away down on Earth, Scorpion and Sub-Zero continued to trek through the snow forest, keeping their hoods up to conceal their faces. As they traveled through, it started to get warmer. More and more it got warm, until eventually, the saw an opening out of the forest. Looking out, they have a great view of wide open, green pastures and small woods.

"Look over there," Sub-Zero called out. In the far distance, no doubt about twenty miles away from their current location, was a temple on a tall hill. "That must be the Wu Shi Academy. Let us make haste."

"Patience, Sub-Zero. We must've go rushing in like invaders," Scorpion suggested. "The sun will soon call it a day. We will travel half-way, then we must make camp. If that was truly a Netherrealm dragon we fought, it could be possible that more of its wretched inhabitants are wondering Earthrealm as we speak. With no Netherrealm, there is no other hell to go to."

"To further speculate this, I too wonder why an inhabitant from Hell has come to Earthrealm. It is a question that can only give us another question."

"And what question would that be?"

"Is it possible that the Netherrealm and Earthrealm are merging? If so, then this threat we are fighting against is more powerful then we originally anticipated. No one with that power has ever existed since the Dragon King, Onaga."

"Dwelling on it now will not put a stop to it. It matters not where this villain originated from, it only matters that he must be stopped, and I do not intend to stand by while my clan's murderer continues to live."

Scorpion starts making his way down the moutain to the pastures below. Sub-Zero watches with skepticism. Vengeance for his clan seems to be the only subject Scorpion cared about. It could cause him to do horrible things. Sub-Zero was no superior of clouded judgement, but he does know that anger is a dangerous ally. It clouds the mind, creates misfortune, and drives oneself mad. Could he really trust Scorpion?

"SUB-ZERO! Keep up!" Scorpion shouted.

Putting his thoughts aside, Sub-Zero quickly follows Scorpion down the mountain. For now, he will keep a hawk's eye on him. He will trust, but verify.

**XXX**

That night, the ninja and assassin slept peacefully under a large tree next to a dirt road. Well, Sub-Zero was sleeping soundly, Scorpion was still up, looking at that the wheel once again. In his mind, he felt like he was being forced into this. He tried to get his mind off it, but he just couldn't. He was stuck in his thoughts.

Those same questions popped back into his head: Who was he? Why was his clan dead? Who murdered them? What is the point to all this madness?

These are the questions that remained a mystery to him. He was quite possibly a long way from his place of origin. Perhaps, when they reach the Wu Shi, Scorpion could ask Raiden these questions. He may hold the answers to this mystery. Until then, he will just have to turn in for tonight. Tomorrow, they arrive at the Wu Shi by high noon.

Suddenly, looking in the distance, he saw two bright lights coming in closer and closer to their location. As the lights came closer, Scorpion had to cover his eyes to protect them from the brightness.

"Sub-Zero, wake up!" he ordered. "Someone is coming."

Once it got closer, the lights were now identifiable. They were the high beam headlights of a van stopping right next to them. The van had some kind of symbol on it: Two dark dragons, separated from each other by a dagger of some kind. Out of the back of the van jumps four guys in worn out clothes and bandanas carrying guns. They surround the duo.

Another guy jumps out of the back of the van, but he looked different from the other guys. He had no shirt, a cybernetic heart, an eye shield, and he was holding a shank knife. Pushing past his comrades, he walked towards the duo.

"Welly welly. 'ello, sports."


	11. Brothers-In-Arms

"Who are you, strangers?" Scorpion asked.

"Glad ya asked, mate," said the one eyed man in a thick Australian accent. "Let's just say some yobbo paid a hefty price for your heads, and who better to get the job done than the Black Dragon, and the face of it, me. Kano's the name, quid is my game."

"You are wasting your time, mercenary," replied Sub-Zero, standing. "You are in the presence of those who are not to be underestimated: an undead Shirai Ryu ninja, and a Lin Kuei assassin."

"Don't care, really. I got guns, and that's enough to beat that kung fu shit o yours. Heh, scuse me. And now, let's git down to business."

Sub-Zero fires a beam of ice at the guns the thugs are carrying. The guns are frozen stiff and completely useless. The thugs throw them down and attack the duo face to face. With the power of hellfire, Scorpion teleports behind the criminals and dispatches them quickly.

"Bah. Dills. I can take you drongos mano a mano." Kano challenged.

Powering up his mechanical eye, Kano fires a laser at the two primary colored warriors. The duo quickly jump outta the way of the oncoming blast, which completely burns the tree behind them. It was a stunning scene.

"Such technological power," Sub-Zero observed. "Who gave you that implant? The Lin Kuei? Sektor?"

"Don' know who you talkin' about, mate. I made this thing meself after one o those Special Forces bastards took me eye. Those army grunts 'ave been huntin' me for years, but I've always found a way to outwit 'em. The more I survive, the more quid I get."

"Greed is not a virtue, cretin." Scorpion said. "It is what all say about it: the root of all evil. There is no honor in such."

"What good's honor if you don't get paid?"

Pulling out his knife, Kano dashes toward the duo and thrusts at Sub-Zero's chest. The assassin quickly jumps back and freezes the scumbag's feet in place. Walking towards Kano, Sub-Zero prepares to deliver a mighty punch. But then Kano spits in his eye and headbutts him to the ground. Lifting his feet up as hard as he can, Kano breaks free of the ice.

Scorpion teleports in front of him and kicks him to the ground as well. Pulling out a knife from his foot sheath, Kano tosses it. The knife is quickly grabbed by the yellow painted ninja, who drops it like it was a little pebble.

"You will have no money today, Kano," he said.

"Gotta make a buck, mate."

"Your greed has no limits, does it?"

"That's a feature. Not a bug"

"As is your lack of honor?"

Standing back up, Kano fires his eye laser again, only to have it blocked by a wall of ice. Sub-Zero quickly stood back up to protect his friend from the wretched smelling delinquent. Unfortunately, the laser beam was proving to be much stronger than the six layers of thin ice, and the shield was quickly melted and destroyed, staggering the cryomancer. Quickly picking up his knife, Kano slashes...and the knife goes across Sub-Zero's face and over his eye.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"SUB-ZERO!"

Growling under his breath, Scorpion bursts into flames. With a massive leap forward, he puts his feet in front of him, and delivers the most powerful kick he has ever mustered. Kano is sent flying so far, he landed in the tall grass. Looking at the van, Scorpion got an idea. He runs to Sub-Zero and helps him up.

"Quick! To the car!" he ordered.

Getting into the front seat, Scorpion sees that the keys are left in the ignition. Putting it in drive, and with Sub-Zero in the back, the duo quickly speed away, stealing the Black Dragon vehicle.

**XXX**

As the duo drive through the grassy terrain as much as they can, they try to contemplate what happened.

"If the Lin Kuei didn't send bounty hunters after the two of us, who did?" Sub-Zero thought aloud.

"Those mercenaries did not seem cheap," Scorpion replied. "Whoever this unknown threat is must have a lot of money...or worse, it is backed by an ally of his. We must find the shrine of Raiden soon, and most importantly, we must discover who the warriors on the wheel are."

"Let us pray that the God of Thunder will answer our call."

"If not, the realms are forfeit."

**XXX**

Back with Kano and his thugs, the scum sits at the area of the battle taken place and rubs against his wounds. Suddenly, the blood on the ground begins to move on its own towards something...or someone. Looking up, Kano recognized the woman before him, holding a ball of the blood that used to soak the dirt.

"Where is the delivery?" she asked.

"Well, uh...ya see...it's gotten mucked up and uh...well, let's jus' say that uh...it'll probably take longer to gut those..." Kano stuttered.

"DO YOU INTEND TO BLEED ME!?"

The woman grabs Kano by the throat using a tentacle made of blood.

"No...I...can get...those...drongos...ACK-UG...you'll...augh...get what...you-mmrrr...want..."

"I had better Kano. For your sake. Just remember: My bloodlust is insatiable."

Throwing Kano down to the ground, the woman disappears into a pool of blood and slithers away, taking the pool with her.

Looking up, Kano watched as the blood woman disappeared into the grasslands. Taking what she said in mind, he had to think of a way to kill Scorpion and Sub-Zero fast, otherwise who knows what will happen to him. That would be bad for business. Pulling out a comm link, he makes a quick pick up call.

"Kabal! Send out an airship to pick us up."

It was time to think bigger, time for Plan B.


	12. Lightning Herald

Life and Death. That is the phrase that describes this duo of an unexpected journey. One of life, one of death, fate brings them together seeking two things: Justice and Vengeance. Justice for the clan of the living, and Vengeance for the clan of the dead. Both warriors have a different motive, but a common cause: solve this interrealm crisis, and defeat the architect of this chaos.

As dawn soon turned to day, the restless spirit, Scorpion, continued to drive the stolen mercenary vehicle to his destination: The Wu Shi Temple. In the back of the van, Sub-Zero slept soundly, bandages covering his scarred eye. Whoever that stranger, Kano, was, he certainly seemed determined to end their lives, but for whom?

On top of that, they were faced with how the Netherrealm came to be merged with Earthrealm, or so it seemed to be. Could it be the work of another realm? Edenia? Orderrealm? Chaosrealm? Perhaps even Outworld? Though Outworld is a pristine, peaceful realm whose shared in the protection of Earthrealm under its honorable Kahn before, there are those who still have their neutralism, such as the Tarkatans.

These thoughts were interrupted by the sight of the Wu Shi Temple. They have arrived.

"Awaken, Sub-Zero!" Scorpion called.

The cryomancer sat up with his hand on his head. "Ohhh...have we arrived?"

"Yes. Let us not delay any further."

Exiting the armored Black Dragon van, Scorpion and Sub-Zero enter through the archway leading into the courtyard. Traveling through, the gardens were blooming with trees of cherry-blossoms. The stream flowed through with ease like a wind blowing through the desert. At the top of the hill, the academy itself. With each step up the staircase, both wondered if they would receive a warm welcome from the Shaolin. Hopefully, they are as noble as people say.

Reaching the top, the front doors open slowly. Soon, Scorpion and Sub-Zero are greeted by a Shaolin. His garb was of blue and orange.

"Welcome, brave travelers," he greeted. "There is no doubt you have traveled far and wide."

"No doubt indeed," Scorpion sneered. "And no doubt you were waiting here for us?"

"Excuse him, he has yet to learn control," Sub-Zero apologized.

"So do we all. But what flaws can be avoided rather than improved on? And it is true, I _have_ been awaiting your arrival. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Master Li Bing."

"Greetings to you, Master. I am Sub-Zero, of the Lin Kuei."

"My true name is unknown even to me, but you may call me Scorpion, of the Shirai Ryu."

"Welcome, Scorpion and Sub-Zero. The hour is early, but who am I to judge arrivals? What brings you here, my friends?"

"We seek the shrine of Raiden, God of Thunder."

"Hm. As I expected. I'm afraid no one not of the Shaolin may go down into the Dragon Grotto, but why do you seek to speak to Lord Raiden?"

"A dire threat emerges from an unknown source," Scorpion answered. "First, my clan was executed without meaning, then Sub-Zero's temple is raided by a Netherrealm dragon. The worst of it is that the Netherrealm has disappeared around me, and we suspect that it has been merged with Earthrealm. But before I was cast out of the Netherrealm, a Titan warned me of an armageddon. Then he showed me a wheel that I managed to sketch by memory."

Scorpion pulled out the parchment of the wheel and handed it to Master Li Bing. As the Shaolin master looked over it, his eyes widened with curiosity. "Impressive. Most impressive."

"Will you let us see the shrine, Master Li Bing?" Sub-Zero asked politely.

"Seeing it is no easy task, my friends. You will have to go through the trap dungeon first. I will accompany you, but first I must acquire the Sacred Summoner from my quarters."

Leaving the two for just a moment, Scorpion and Sub-Zero sit cross-legged on the matted floor.

"A shrine guarded by a dungeon of traps, that is certainly not overdoing it," Scorpion commented.

"Cool your anger, Scorpion," Sub-Zero advised. "They were placed to protect it, not challenge us. We must not think too lowly of it."

"Lowly? If Li Bing expects us to get pass the traps, we are being sent to our deaths. We cannot trust him."

"He is accompanying us, so we will be able to keep an eye on him at all times. But we mustn't judge someone too harshly, this is where many come seeking redemption."

"Redemption is not a constant, Sub-Zero. Those who seek it must prove that they are worthy of it."

"Truer words have never been spoken, my friend," inquired Li Bing, returning with a staff of some kind. "But Sub-Zero is correct, doubting someone of their honor too harshly can lead to conflict. I am a master of redemption, and I hope to aide you in your quest. None of you both have a problem with it, do you?"

"I have no problem at all," Sub-Zero answered respectfully. "But I cannot speak for the revenant."

"By the way, you might want to have a look outside."

Stepping out the front doors for a moment, the two cannot believe their eyes. One minute it was sunny outside, the other...it's lightning and thundering like mad.

"What is this?" Scorpion wondered aloud.

"Look!" Sub-Zero shouted.

Looking down at the entrance to the courtyard seen from where they stand, the two realize that the thunder and lightning...was a herald. For at the archway of the entrance, more Black Dragon vans could be seen.

The Black Dragon are back.

"WHAT!? But how? How did they find us?" Sub-Zero questioned.

"It matters not. Quick, we must protect the temple!" Master Li Bing shouted.

Closing the big front doors quickly, the three board lock the entrance and quickly make haste for the Dragon Grotto.


	13. Sacred Summoner

Sacred. That is what the Wu Shi Dragon Grotto is best described as. Those who defile such are doomed to face the wrath of the Elder Gods. Those with pure hearts visit to gain their blessings. But in this case, they require their help.

Scorpion and Sub-Zero flee down the corridors of the underground with Master Li Bing in the lead. The Wu Shi Temple is under attack from a criminal gang known as the Black Dragon. They come for the revenant and cryomancer...or do they.

Above them, the sounds of screaming and gunfire could be heard. "Urrrggggg...What could those scoundrels possibly want with us? And how did they find us again?!" Scorpion growled.

"We _did_ steal one of their vehicles," Sub-Zero explained. "Perhaps it contained a-"

"-tracking device..." Scorpion finished. "Damn them!"

"No time for speculations, we must get you two to the shrine before the intruders become aware of our intentions," Li Bing said.

Suddenly, an explosion occurs above ground, causing parts of the ceiling to come crashing down, nearing crushing the trio.

"Less time than anticipated! Hurry!"

Rushing down the corridor, the three come to the entrance to the Shaolin Trap Dungeon, the pathway to the Grotto. Guarding the entrance is the first trap, a pair of swinging blades. "Now then, to pass through, one must have the agility of a jaguar, the speed of a cheetah, and-"

"**UGH!** We have no time for this!" Scorpion shouted impatiently. He pulls out his katana, and slams it into the wedges of the swinging blades, stopping it completely. He passes through it with ease.

"Or, that works, too," said the Shaolin master.

Another explosion is heard, and the other two quickly pass through the immobile blades, but not before nearly getting shot from behind. Indeed, down the corridor were Black Dragon thugs, suppressing fire. Li Bing gives Sub-Zero the Sacred Summoner.

"You must go, now! Take the staff! You must get to the grotto and summon Lord Raiden! I will try to hold them off for as long as I ca- AAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

"Master!" shouted the ice wielder and ghost.

Li Bing was hit, but not from gunfire,...from something else. Clenching his stomach, the Shaolin kneels down in pain. Blood begins to leak from his stomach as he keels over and dies, revealing it has been completely cut open. His internal organs begin to slowly fall out.

"What in the name of- AGH!" Scorpion is cut off from a smack to the face that came out of nowhere.

Both the ninja and assassin continuously get smacked by a fast moving object, until Sub-Zero quickly throws a punch and knocks the being to the ground. The perpetrator quickly recovers. He wears a mask, and wields hook swords.

"Not bad," he said. "but not good enough either."

Going for another punch, the masked man charges his superspeed and then...stops. In fact, everything around them has stopped. Looking around, Scorpion and Sub-Zero discover notice everything is immobile, even the people.

"What now?" Scorpion asked.

"Perhaps the Elder Gods wish for us to succeed," Sub-Zero answered. "Let us not keep them waiting."

**XXX**

Traveling further through the dungeon, the two eventually come to a cave-like area with a well of holy water. Surrounding it are treasures, offerings, and a large stone dragon.

"Interesting. So this is the Wu Shi Dragon Grotto, where the shrine of Lord Raiden resides," Sub-Zero observed. "Such beauty, and what generous offerings. Truly, this is considered a sacred place."

"You can marvel at your surroundings some other time," Scorpion ordered. "Hand me that staff so we can summon the Thunder God."

"Actually, I believe _I_ am better suited to do so."

"Why?" sneered the specter.

"_That's_ why."

Sub-Zero walks towards the well and holds out the Sacred Summoner. For a while, nothing happens. Suddenly, lightning strikes out of the pool and into the staff. It begins to levitate over the well and suddenly, out of the water, comes a man with a bamboo hat. He takes up the staff and levitates towards the duo.

"Lord Raiden," they said.

"You seek my aid against an unknown threat," Raiden replied.

"How did you know that?" Sub-Zero asked.

"I have been expecting you. Your quest for allies was noticed by the Elder Gods. We too had no knowledge of this blight until now."

"We believe you to be one of the chosen on the wheel. We must work together, discover this mysterious danger to the realms, and put an end to its darkness," Scorpion explained. "Will you join us, Lord Raiden?"

"I cannot join you here on Earth. Not just yet. First, you must discover the name of this unknown person who wishes to destroy the realms. When the time comes, we will bring the chosen warriors together, and end this madness."

"Do you know where we can find the other warriors?" Sub-Zero wondered.

"They must always serve with honor. Honor that grants you a medal when you answer the call for war. I shall teleport as close to your target as I can, but do not expect a simple challenge."

Using the Sacred Summoner, Raiden conjures up a bolt of lightning and fires it at the duo. The bolt then shoots into the sky, taking Scorpion and Sub-Zero with it.

**XXX**

Meanwhile, back upstairs in the main temple, all the monks lied dead on the ground. The Black Dragon mercenaries explore the rest of the temple, searching for trinkets and other valuables.

Kano walks and talks with the masked man. "So much for you wastin' those dills, Kabal," he said.

"Who cares? I got a punch at 'em, didn't I? Now pay me," said 'Kabal'.

"No quid 'til the job's done."

"Fine. But I don't work for free."

"She certainly doesn't."

They look to the red-wearing woman soaking herself in blood rain using the blood of the dead monks pulled from their bodies with her blood magic. "Ah..._This_ is a blood bath," she snickered.


	14. Limelight

In a parking garage on the fourth level, a group of strange gangsters wearing clown makeup and clothes are loading tons of guns and artillery weapons into a painted truck.

"Da-huh, heh, this'll be funny," said one of them.

Suddenly, he is shot in the head by someone behind a pillar. Emerging from that pillar is a mime, holding his finger out like a handgun. Suddenly, Coming for you by the Offspring plays in the background. The clowns charge him. Holding his hands out like he's holding an assault rifle, the mime fires invisible bullets. The clowns go down in a heartbeat, all...but one, dead. The remaining clown throws a punch, which the mime quickly dodges, returning the favor, kicking the clown's thigh thrice, and whirl kicking him down.

Walking towards the truck, the mime looks inside and-

"CUT! Take five!"

"Ugh...you've gotta be frickin' kidding me."

The clowns get back up, revealing to only be actors in clown costumes and the whole area just a set for a movie.

The mime steps off the set and rubs off his makeup, revealing the handsome face of Johnny Cage, a B-list actor. His agent, Edwards, walks up to him with a proud face. "Magnificent, Johnny," he praised.

"Magnificent? MAGNIFICENT!?" Johnny ranted. "Are you not paying attention, Edwards? The more we take five, the more we waste five! We've been on this scene for a whole week al-goddamn-ready, and I can't wait any longer to finish it! This movie is my one chance to come back on top, man. I haven't been the star of anything since Time Smashers, or the first Ninja Mime,...or even-"

"Relax, Johnny boy. Sure, it's taking a while to finish the scene, but at the end, the ninja mime makes a noble sacrifice, and people looove a good sacrifice. Think about it, Johnny. This film could make you once more...a star- OW!"

"Certainly made you a star," said Johnny Cage, punching his agent in the nose and walking off, flipping him the bird. "I'm gonna go take a stroll."

"You broke my smellhole."

**XXX**

Meanwhile, walking around the streets of Hollywood also, Scorpion and Sub-Zero, with their hoods and masks up, ponder their surroundings. Scorpion, as focused as ever, cares not for the sites before him. Sub-Zero, however, as youthful as he is at the moment, takes a moment to admire the Hollywood sign.

"Hmm...pristine, for an American city," he said. "If this is where our next chosen warrior is, what do you suppose _this_ place has to do with them?"

"I do not know," said the undead ninja surly. "We have obviously been teleported to the wrong location."

"There are no errors in the Elder Gods' judgement, Scorpion."

"Even gods make mistakes, Kuai Liang."

"Are you certain this is a mistake?"

"Do not question me, and I suggest you lower your voice. No one must discover us. For all we know, there are eyes watching us in every corner. Eyes of agents working for our nameless foe. Unless you wish to die, keep your hood up and your head down."

Without another word, Scorpion continues on. Sub-Zero follows quietly behind, once again questioning the specter's judgement.

**XXX**

Meanwhile, walking down the same streets, Johnny Cage dawns his signature pair of lit shades. Passerbys waved to the actor, him giving them the occasional what's up or autograph.

One specific thing catches his eye though: Two guys, wearing similar outfits, one blue and one yellow, on the other side of the street. Pretty good cosplay they got going on there. Maybe they were starring in some kinda action packed, mysterious warrior type movie? Maybe they were looking for more parts. Why not give these dudes exactly what they're looking for? It could benefit both them and Johnny. In fact, this could put Johnny on the map.

Without thinking another thing, Johnny follows the cool looking dudes.

**XXX**

"Look at this," Sub-Zero said, looking over the wheel. "We _are_ in the right location. These glasses are a pair of sunglasses, and what a more appropriate place to find people wearing sunglasses than Hollywood."

"Exactly," Scorpion interjected. "Millions of people here wear sunglasses. It could take months, perhaps even years to find our next chosen warrior."

"Oh reeeeeaaalllyyyy?" said a voice behind them. They turn around fast and see a man with a blue and purple jacket, no shirt, and purple shades. "Suuup, green mixers? Ya looking for a chosen warrior for your blockbuster? Look no further, your warrior has arrived."

Scorpion and Sub-Zero appear unimpressed.

"What? Look at the three of us. With me around, you're bound to get yourselves into the limelight. I can see it now: Yellow and Blue make the Earth Green, starring the sexiest, Johnny Cage. We could be famous, I'm talking A-list, homie."

"I am not for sale, fool," Scorpion sneered. "Now be on your way."

"Aw don't be that way, hothead. It's fine if you only wanna work for free. So what's the story? Anti-heroes? Anti-Villains? Anti-Fairies? Actually, that last one might be too much junior high. Maybe you already got the script written down? Who's our main baddie?"

"It is none of your concern."

"Psst...may I speak to you in private, Scorpion?" Sub-Zero pulls aside the ninja. "Listen, we might actually want to play along with this man. Look."

Sub-Zero shows Scorpion the wheel and points to the sunglasses. Looking over at Johnny Cage, Scorpion notices something.

"You must be joking..."

**End of chapter. If we're all gonna be stuck inside for who knows how long, let's just take a moment to thank the public health workers and researchers in the science community for helping with the coronavirus, and hope a vaccine can be made soon. Stay safe. Until next time.  
**


	15. Walk and Talk

"So let's get right down to business," said Johnny Cage as he and the kombatant duo walk down the street to his mansion by the beach. "First off, let me take the honor of introducing myself since you probably haven't heard of me before, eh?"

"No, and I most likely do not want to know you," Scorpion snarked.

"Too bad. The name's Jonathan James Carlton-Cage, but call me by my stage name: Johnny Cage. Yes, that's not a stage name, but can you blame someone for trying to be creative? Anyway, so they say actions speak louder than words, and I say, flicks speak louder than actions. That's why I make action flicks, such as _Time Smashers, Every Dog Has Its Day, Ninja Mine_-"

"Ninja _Mime_? Please, tell me you made that last one up."

"Nope. That's a real flickaroo, yellowroo."

"Ohhhhhhhh...whose imagination led to that?"

"Yeah yeah, hate on it all you want, hater. The Ninja Mime franchise will be the top ranking franchise in the entire box office by the time I finish the sequel."

"Highly doubtful. I am not a ninja, and even _I_ find that offensive," Sub-Zero replied.

"Blah blah blah, bluey blue. Anyhoo, I don't think I ever caught _your_ names, did I? What are they, Hotrod and Chili freezy tart? Lava Magmins and Snowwise Flangee? Scary Hotter and Cold Freezley?"

"STOP THAT, YOU IMBECILE!" Scorpion shouted right into Johnny's face, fed up with his running mouth.

Johnny could only step back mildly startled and respond, "No need to get so angry. Here, I'll shut up and let you tell me your names."

Scorpion remains silent the rest of the way. Johnny turns to Sub-Zero. "Grumpy, isn't he?"

"He cannot tell you his name...because he does not remember it," Sub-Zero admitted.

"Ah, I see. Retrograde amnesia, am I right? Or does he have meningitis?"

"It is deeper than what you say, but I will tell you another time. I have been calling him Scorpion. My name is Kuai Liang, but call me Sub-Zero."

"Hmm...much better names than what I picked. Although, Scorpion is kinda confusing though, 'cause he doesn't look like the kinda person who could fight like a real scorpion, ya know what I mean? But, ya know, whatever floats your boat. Anyway, what's the biz, boys? You don't look like the kinda people you'd usually find around Hollywood Boulevard, or even Beverly Hills. What's your business here?"

"We're here looking for you."

"Me? Well, I knew I was Hollywood royalty but, what's the deal?"

Sub-Zero shows Johnny the parchment of the destiny circle. He points to the pair of shades.

"Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhh,...I like this plot twist. So you two are looking for good actors for your next slash first flick, eh? We-he-he-he-ell, look-a no-a further-a. Johnny Cage. Is. The Illumi-Nasty."

Sub-Zero just facepalms. "By the gods, no."

"What, too much? Never mind, so, where does it take place? 18th century colony? 19th Century England? The Old Egyptian Kingdom Era?"

"No, but very interesting guesses. This is Modern Day Times. We're searching for thirteen warriors who possess these trophies. We travel the Earth searching for them. Will you join us, Johnny Cage?"

"Hmm...I tell ya what: We're almost to my pad, I'll decide there."

**XXX**

At Johnny Cage's seaside mansion, Scorpion and Sub-Zero sit in the living room. Scorpion is sitting on the couch having a drink of grape juice, and Sub-Zero is exploring the spacious (not to mention surprisingly pristine) household, looking at the awards and trophies Johnny Cage has gotten over the years.

"Huh. I would not call this man a 'role model', but he certainly does have some rather fascinating displays," he said.

"Still, it eludes me whose idea it was to combine ninjas and mimes," Scorpion said through gritted teeth.

"I am not a ninja, so I am not too offended, but I can only assume someone compared ninjas to mimes through their silent nature."

"_That_ does not help."

"Nonetheless, there seems to be more to Johnny Cage than meets the eyes. Not of films, or levity, or even inappropriate dialogue, but of kombat."

"We have not seen him demonstrate any sort of skill once."

Johnny walks into the room, a camera and a ninja costume in his hands. "No? Well then, let's fix that."

The three move to the couch.

"I tell ya what, I'll come with you dudesters if you do something for me," Johnny proposed.

"Which is...?" Scorpion asked.

"Some people say my moves and cool skills are all stunt doubles and special effects, but the truth is..._I'm_ the stunt doubles and special effects, no matter how painful. So, you guys look like the kinda dudes who do your own stunts, am I right? You guys help me make something for my award ceremony that's so friggin' awesome that makes all the ladies swoon and want this sexy bod, and you got yourselves a badass-tapping deal."

Scorpion and Sub-Zero just stare at the self-imposed, overenthusiastic actor with a glint of annoyance.

"Oh relax, there don't even need to be lines. It's all action, trust me on that. I promise, you won't get any recognition from it. Unless you want recognition, in which case you get ten percent and I got ninety."

Looking at each other, Scorpion and Sub-Zero do indeed not want any recognition, as to avoid any detection from the Cyber Lin Kuei, but if doing this is what it takes to get this pompous, arrogant, vain man to accompany them on their quest, then it seems as though the duo have only one way to go about this. Turning back to the actor, Scorpion and Sub-Zero finally reply...

"Very well..."


	16. Showtime

In Studio Cage, Johnny Cage's personal private gym, in the middle of the room is a table with a brief case on it. All over the room are hidden cameras and speakers for music. From the entrance arrives Scorpion and Sub-Zero wearing masks to hide their faces. Scorpion wears a skull mask, and Sub-Zero dons a samurai mask. They wear casual punk jackets and plain white ts.

They step up to the table and open the briefcase. Inside contains at least a million dollars (prop money). They close it and prepare to leave with it. Suddenly, out of nowhere in a puff of smoke comes Johnny Cage in his ninja costume. It's black and green with his initials on the front and logo on the back.

"Beware, criminal scum," he said to the duo. "For I am the heart that burns the soul. The soul that steals the heart. The defender of justice." Johnny starts to do numerous poses and dances like he's a ballet dancer. "I am the Great Samuraiman!"

Though their faces are completely covered, Scorpion and Sub-Zero obviously are cringing at the terrible, nonsensical name. Without saying a word, they get into a fighting stance and prepare for kombat. _Welcome to the Jungle_ by Guns N Roses begins to play on the speakers.

Scorpion went in for a quick kick to the chest, but Johnny managed to avoid it and then HWAAAAA! Right to the face. That's when it was Sub-Zero's turn to give the so called A-list actor a Lin Kuei kick. Johnny quickly got back up from the attack, and decided it was time to fight dirty. Running towards the assassin, Johnny goes in for a blazin' backhand. Sub-Zero obviously sees it coming and goes for a straight chop, but that was exactly what Johnny wanted. Quickly ducking to avoid the frozen warrior's attack, Johnny gives the unsuspecting assassin a nut punch. Sub-Zero clutches his ballsack in pain.

Scorpion comes at Johnny from behind a gives him a side strike. Quickly recovering, Johnny and Scorpion continue to throw hands in sudden violence. As Scorpion punches and dodges, he observes that Johnny is indeed a formidable opponent, if not an utter annoyance.

Meanwhile, Sub-Zero quietly goes for the briefcase as the fighting continues. Crawling stealth-fully towards it, he quickly grabs it and runs for the door. But Johnny quickly takes notice of this and axe kicks Scorpion to the ground and quickly chases after Sub-Zero. Pulling out a camera, Johnny catches up to the blue warrior before he can open the door and snaps a blinding flash in his eyes. Rubbing his eyes, Sub-Zero has no time to react as Johnny is about to deliver a massive strike.

"And the award goes to-" Johnny delivers the strike and Sub-Zero goes down without fight. He picks up the briefcase and smiles proudly. "Annnnnnnd CUT!"

Scorpion and Sub-Zero get back up, weary but still able to stand. "That was perfect, buddy boys!" Johnny congratulated. "Got it in one take too. You guys just made the most of the best day of your career choices. Best part is, the ceremony is tonight."

"Tonight?" Sub-Zero asked. "You mean to say you did not have anything to represent you for your award?"

"I ain't gonna lie to you, snowman, I had absolutely nothing to show. It's like, the new Ninja Mime movie was never gonna be finished, and like, all my other movies have already been seen numerous times, ya know. I admit, I appreciate what you did for me, even if you probably didn't wanna do it. What do you say we split some ice cream? It's on me."

"No, that's unnecessary. Let us save the levity and leisure for later," Scorpion rejected.

"So serious, aren't ya. Nice tongue-twister, though. _L__evity and leisure for later_. That oughta be your catchphrase. But, if you insist, I'm telling you, your missing out. One scoop, Two scoop, chocolate, fruit, it's hard to resist such a frosty treat on such a hot summer day, ya know."

"Is that another crack about my name?" Sub-Zero asked nonchalantly.

"Don't get out much, do you? You could definitely use an afternoon off. Here, I'll take you out for some ice cream myself. Why don't you go relax for a bit, Scorpy, and meet us at the award ceremony at seven. Here's the address."

Johnny gives Scorpion the address to the award ceremony and takes Sub-Zero with him to show him around.

Scorpion just watches them exit out the door. "No hurry..."

**XXX**

Meanwhile, up in the heavens...

"It appears our two warriors have managed to recruit Johnny Cage. I have to admit, Sub-Zero has proven to be quite the diplomat. To be able to tolerate Cage's sense of humor, ego, and other annoying tendencies, it takes much patience," Liu Kang said.

"Let us not forget that Sub-Zero is still currently a youth. Like all young souls, they try to keep everyone's spirit up. Johnny Cage is no motivational speaker, but his positivity may prove useful in the upcoming battle. But his skills will require work, if he is to unleash his Mediterranean ancient power. Even in previous times, every day he fails to train," Raiden replies.

"We mustn't dwell on the past, Raiden," Kitana said. "It is unimportant. What is happening now _is_."

"Yes, indeed," Kung Lao added. "You have done well to conjure up a thunder storm to warn Scorpion and Sub-Zero of the Black Dragon."

"But you must understand, fellow Elder Gods," Raiden admitted at last. "I did not send out that storm warning to our chosen ones."

The rest of the New Elder Gods are confused. If Raiden didn't warn Scorpion and Sub-Zero at the Wu Shi, then who did?


	17. Awards Season

The afternoon went by slowly but eventful. Over the past five hours, Johnny Cage introduced Sub-Zero to the concept of America's top dessert, ice cream. Starting him off, Johnny got the assassin one scoop of vanilla. At first reluctant, eventually Sub-Zero took a taste of the frozen milk. Not a bad taste, but the cold one still retained his natural, but youthful, seriousness.

As for Scorpion, he just spent most of his time sitting on a park bench in Hollywood Park. While it was true he could have spent the rest of his spare time training, Johnny's suggestion for having to relax seemed like a wise choice. Despite his adherence to levity and insolence, Johnny Cage was a very calm and useful person. How long would it be before the duo had to tell him that what they are doing is not a motion picture?

After another minute of sitting around, Scorpion stood up and decided to go to the Awards Ceremony early. While there was no point in trying to make the half-witted actor happy, if it gets him to accompany the ninja and assassin on their adventure, so be it.

When he reaches the theater building, Johnny Cage and Sub-Zero are already their waiting inside. Looking over at the nearest wall clock, he realizes that is five minutes to seven.

"Hey hey hey, my yellow budd-ey," Johnny greeted with a Bill Cosby impression. He holds out a teddy bear and gives it to the yellow clad warrior. "Got you a gift. It's just a little something to help with that temper of yours. Whenever you wanna keep that anger from making you bust your balls, more so than I did Snowman here, just hold onto that teddy and think happy thoughts. Gotta get into place, see ya in the audience."

Johnny quickly runs to the very back of the building.

"So...how was your afternoon with him?" Scorpion asked.

"A pleasant one. He is not as boneheaded as you would presume once you know him better," Sub-Zero answered. "Still rather frivolous, but pure-hearted, nonetheless."

Scorpion and Sub-Zero enter the theater area and take their seats. After a few minutes, the spotlights shine and the announcer comes out onto the stage. The crowd goes wild...except for you know who.

"Welcome everyone to the Annual Snazzie Awards. Tonight, we have a very special night for you, with a very special guest earning the award for Best Action Actor. While a very underrated person, his biggest selling movie, Ninja Mime, earned him a top spot in the Hollywood Hall of Fame. Ladies and Gentlemen, Johnny Cage!"

Running up on stage, Johnny takes the mic from the announcer and gives everyone a pleasant smile. "Hellowood, Hollywood. 'Tis I, Hollywood's richest man and highest grossing movie star ever. And damn, do I have a show you for all of you. Some people say my stunts and moves are all just special effects, but the truth is..._I__'m_ the special effects."

He points to the monitor...and nothing shows. "Uh, I said..._I'm_ the special effects!" Still nothing but a blank screen. "Hellloooooooooooooooooooooo...You're supposed to show the footage, operatives! Who hired these guys!?"

All of a sudden, the whole building shook in its very foundations. The ceiling started cracking over the audience. Soon, the whole roof falls down on top of the audience. Quick on their feet, Scorpion and Sub-Zero quickly jump out of their seats and out of the way of the falling debris. Looking through the ceiling, they see an airship with a familiar logo on it.

"The Lin Kuei," Sub-Zero spoke up.

"You mean the _Cyber_ Lin Kuei," Scorpion corrected, stuffing the stuffed bear into his temporary jacket.

However, when ropes started coming down, two different types of enemies came riding: Cyber Ninjas and Black Dragon. Kano is among them.

"'Ello again, sports," he greeted. "Turns out I _did_ know who you were talkin' 'bout. In fact, these ain't the only blokes who want you dead. Tons of people do. You'd love 'em. Why don't ya drop yer weapons and we'll go to a party at me favorite bar...I'll even give you two front row seats in the cage fight."

"Someone say _Cage_ fight?" Johnny Cage, who miraculously managed to survive the roof collapse, steps forward. "No one, and I repeat _NO ONE_, takes shots at a Johnny Cage celebrity-bration!"

"I just _did_, Hollywood."

"I'mma beat you back to the Sydney Opera House!"

But before Johnny can throw even a single punch, he is quickly subdued and knocked out by a single cyber.

"Heh, between you two and Ninja Mime vs about a few dozen robots and muggers, we've got all the leverage. Give it up, mates."

Despite the fact that they could fight back, Johnny Cage could not. He was unprepared for what he was facing. This wasn't a publicly stunt, it was real. Nonetheless, they needed Johnny Cage alive, so they accepted the inevitable.

**XXX**

"_...unexpected attack on the Snazzie Awards. If you can see behind, the place is in absolute chaos. Authorities are doing everything they can to keep the people away. It is madness. Some sort of aircraft has flown its way to Hollywood Boulevard and started firing on Dolby Theatre. In related news, Johnny Cage, star of Ninja Mime, has been said to be inside. Here we are hoping there will be survivors..._"

In an undisclosed location, a woman with blond hair is watching this on a big TV. Getting a good look at the aircraft, she recognizes one of the people sliding down. Getting closer to the screen, she notices a man with a metal eye shield. He wore a black garb with red lining. There was no mistaking that little glint of metal on his chest either. She pieced all three together.

She sneered. "Kano..."


	18. Caged!

In Russia, in an undisclosed location surrounded by nothing but a blanket of snow, lies a fight club for the infamous crime syndicate, the Black Dragon. Surrounding it are the tents and shops full of stolen trinkets, otherwise known as the Black Market Alley. Criminals, thieves and scoundrels all alike travel here to purchase and perform for their own entertainment.

Tonight was something special. With Scorpion and Sub-Zero in their custody, the Black Dragon were about to make bank. Before they give Sub-Zero to the Cyber Lin Kuei, they wanted to beat him within an inch of his life, to make him wish he had become a cyborg sooner. As for Scorpion, who knows what they'll do to him.

Johnny Cage, however, was a different story. He got into their grasp completely by accident, all because he planned to kick their leader's sorry ass. Hollywood royalty fetches a high price, but to them, the only high price on him were his $500 sunglasses. And even _that _was worth absolutely nothing.

In the underground holding area, Johnny was currently sitting in a cell with cuts and bruises all over his body. He was unconscious the entire time, so he had little to no knowledge of what the thugs did to him while he was out. One thing that annoyed him was his damaged face. Whoever punched him did a number on it.

Looking around him, he realized he was shackled to the ground, both wrists and feet. He pulled and pulled, trying to get free, or at least trying to loosen the cuffs. No good, these guys were too good at being what they were.

"Man, talk about a plot twist," he said to himself. "What's next? I'm gonna lose my good looks? My fame? My fans? Oh, that's right, they're already gone."

Pulling on the shackles harder, Johnny continued to talk to nothing. "Meeting a bunch of weirdos in ninja costumes, that was obviously a ploy to kidnap me. On top of that, these scrotum suckers hit me harder than a dumbass actor on set, damage my beautiful face, and ruin my career! How could I have missed all that shit!? STUPID STUPID STUPID-"

Soon, the pulling turned into yanking, with the actor becoming angrier and angrier. Suddenly, something...unexpected happened. Green light started to illuminate from his body. Johnny was too busy struggling on the shackles to notice. As he continued to yank, the chains started coming off. By the time he noticed what was happening, a final yank freed the chains from the wall. Johnny landed with a thud.

Picking himself up, he looked all over his body in shock and befuddlement. "What...what the hell is this?" he asked himself in disbelief. Wanting to test it out, he pulled off the remaining chain shackled to his wrists and feet. "Holy crap...and I do mean _Holy_."

Suddenly, the light starts to dim. Using the last of its strength, the empowered actor pulls the bars of the cell apart. "This is just like my movie, Fatal Infinity. The big strong bad dude was so strong he could rip the chains and bars off the wall of his own cell. Only the bad guys are the dudes who put him in there and he's a good guy. Now comes the second plot twist: I've gotta find those ninja dudes."

Climbing through the uneven bars, Johnny began sneaking around the corridors of the cell area, looking for a way out. Along the way, he stealthily knocked out a few thugs using a few techniques his martial arts teacher taught him. He even kissed the lips of a female thug gloating, "There, your lip boo-boo is better. Have a nice nap. Blech! And brush your teeth when you wake."

**XXX**

Meanwhile, in the actual fight cage area, Scorpion awoke from unconsciousness as well. Looking around, he was in the fight cage, with hundreds of thugs on the outside cheering. He then realized his weapons were gone.

"Ya won't be needin' 'em here, mate," said Kano into a microphone from the bar. "Tonight, yer gonna be puttin' on a little show fer us. Black, get in ther' and give 'em the ol' job, will ya."

Stepping into the arena, a cowboy in a red and black jacket, carrying six-shooters and a rifle, stands in the other corner.

"Well, now this fight's gonna be easy as pie," he said.

"So say many rivals to each other," Scorpion retorted.

"I ain't many rivals...I'm Erron Black."

**XXX**

Back with Johnny Cage, he finally finds the staircase leading out of the winding, crazy prison hallways. Going up the stairs, he slightly opens the door and sees about a dozen or so other scumbags. "Aw man, there's too many of 'em. I'll never get through this using stunt moves."

Looking up, he sees an open window on the side wall. The trouble was, it was at the bottom of the stairs, and it was close to the ceiling.

"Damn, it's too high to jump," he whispered. "I'd have to get a boost to get up there."

"And a boost you will get, Mr. Cage."

Turning around fast, Johnny saw a figure in the dark. Getting into a fighting stance, he prepares to attack.

"Fear not. I am with you," said the figure. He steps out of the shadows. He has a headdress, a gunstock war club, and a tomahawk.

"Whoa...Cowboys and Indians called, they want their Indians back," Johnny joked.

"I have business with Kano. Let me assist you. Your blue and yellow friends might be in the fight cage."

"Well let's boogie. Boost me up, buddy."

Boosting the actor up, Johnny pulled the native up with him and they crawled out the window. Moving quickly, the duo make their way quietly towards the cage arena, where Scorpion and Sub-Zero are being held.


End file.
